[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15168-15170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Caribbean 
American community in honor of the first-ever National Caribbean 
American Heritage Month.
  On June 27, 2005, the House unanimously adopted H. Con. Res. 71, my 
resolution to declare June National Caribbean American Heritage Month. 
On February 14, 2006, the Senate followed suit, thanks to the work of 
Senator Schumer of New York and Arielle Goren on his staff.
  And let me begin by recognizing the many people who helped realize 
this 2-year bipartisan, bicameral effort, because this was quite a 
feat. First, I want to recognize our colleague, a great leader on so 
many issues and especially on health care, Congresswoman Donna 
Christensen from the Caribbean, who has been tremendous in terms of 
bringing us together to address the issues of health disparities 
throughout our country and throughout the world.
  Also, I would like to thank the Institute of Caribbean Studies, 
especially Dr. Claire Nelson and her team, for joining us in this 
effort from the very beginning.
  And we must recognize our friends from the Caribbean diplomatic 
corps, who worked so hard to spread the word about this effort both at 
home in the Caribbean and in their embassies and consulates across the 
country.
  There are many Members of Congress who supported this effort. In 
addition to early support from my colleagues in the Congressional Black 
Caucus and Friends of the Caribbean Task Force, the former chair of the 
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Representative Cass Ballenger, was the 
first Republican to endorse this bill, and his successor, Chairman Dan 
Burton, was one of the first to help urge the President to issue an 
official proclamation.
  This was truly a bipartisan effort, with, of course, our chairman Mr. 
Hyde of the International Relations Committee and our ranking member 
Mr. Lantos, who lent their very strong support.
  And, of course, we never would have done any of this without our 
staff. First, let me commend and thank my staff person Jamila Thompson 
for her leadership and for her commitment to not only this issue and 
this bill, but for so many of the efforts that she mounts. She has 
roots in the Bahamas, and she understands the importance of recognizing 
Caribbean Americans and their proper role and proper recognition in our 
country.
  Also, we had many other House staff members--Ted Brennan, Jack 
Scharfen, Paul Oostburg, Dan Getz, Mark Walker, and Michael Layman--who 
worked in a bipartisan way to make this a reality and really to realize 
this dream for many, many people.
  The Government Reform Committee, Chairman Tom Davis, and our Ranking 
Member Henry Waxman applauded the passage of this resolution last year 
and were instrumental in its passage.
  And, of course, in the final weeks before the proclamation was issued 
by the White House, a coalition was formed that was very instrumental 
in urging the White House to officially declare June National 
Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This coalition included Senator Mel 
Martinez from Florida, Ambassador Tom Shannon, State Department's 
Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Brian Nichols of 
his staff.
  And the Caribbean American community was very active around this 
effort. It could not have been done without them. From Glenn Joseph and 
John Felix in Florida; to Jean Alexander, Horace Morancie, and Anthony 
Carter in New York; to Shorron Levy in California and so many others 
across the country, this became, quite frankly, an international grass-
roots effort.
  So I am pleased that on June 5, the President responded by officially 
declaring June National Caribbean American Heritage Month.
  We have some phenomenal spokespersons Sheryl Lee Ralph and basketball 
legend Rick Fox, who are traveling throughout the country. Sheryl Lee 
Ralph is a woman of Caribbean descent from Jamaica actually, and is a 
great actress as well. Her voice on HIV and AIDS, as well as promoting 
and spreading the word about Caribbean American Heritage Month, will be 
very valuable in terms of making sure that our entire country knows 
about the phenomenal contributions of Caribbean Americans.
  On a very personal level, my relationship with persons of Caribbean 
descent began with the late great former member of this body, the first 
African American woman elected to Congress, Congresswoman Shirley 
Chisholm. I worked as a volunteer in her historic 1972 Presidential 
campaign. As a woman of Barbadian and Guyanese descent, Congresswoman 
Chisholm never forgot her roots and connections to the Caribbean. Her 
work, whether it was fighting for equal access to education in the 
United States Congress or Haitian refugees in detention camps, her 
commitment always stemmed from her faith and her strong Caribbean 
values.
  When the United States-Caribbean relations began to deteriorate over 
the war in Iraq, the coups in Haiti, and the Cuban embargo, I knew that 
we needed to go back and really recognize our deep and strong relations 
with the Caribbean. So we need to send a message of goodwill to the 
Caribbean American community.
  Soon I will be introducing the Shirley Chisholm Caribbean Educational 
Exchange Act of 2006 to provide existing and expanded educational 
exchanges between our country and the Caribbean.
  This legislation has two components:
  First it supports and expands existing primary and secondary training 
programs currently operating in the Caribbean.
  And second it establishes the Shirley Chisholm Educational Exchange 
program structure

[[Page 15169]]

for U.S. and Caribbean high school, undergraduate and graduate 
students, and professional scholars.
  I would like to close by reminding those here in Congress and others 
watching at home that during Caribbean-American Heritage Month, each of 
us should look to the past and to the future in recognizing the strong 
role of the Caribbean and the Caribbean-American community in United 
States history.
  Thank you. Mr. Speaker. This process was really an exercise in 
democracy, and I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Congressional 
Record a list of organizations from across the country that supported 
this effort:
  The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and CARICOM Foreign Ministers 
included the following statement in their joint press release issued at 
the conclusion of the US-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting held in The 
Bahamas in March 2006:
  ``The Ministers and the Secretary of State welcomed the recent 
resolution of the U.S. Congress to commemorate Caribbean American 
Heritage Month in June. The resolution is a recognition of the deep and 
lasting human ties that bind the United States and the Caribbean.''
  This bi-partisan effort to create a National Caribbean-American 
Heritage Month is supported by Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant 
Secretary General of the Organization of American States, the Caucus of 
CARICOM Ambassadors in Washington, DC, and the following organizations:
  The Institute for Caribbean Studies, DC; Caribbean-Central American 
Action, DC; Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Inc.; 
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association, NY; Caribbean-
American Cultural Association, Inc. of North America (CACANA), FL; 
Caribbean-American Center of New York; Conference of Heads of Caribbean 
Organizations of Central Florida; TnT International, Inc.; The 
Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry--Greater Washington 
Area Network; South Florida Caribbean Diaspora Task Force; Trinidad & 
Tobago Working Women's Committee, DC; Caribbean Association of World 
Bank Group and IMP Staff, DC; Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce 
and Industry, Inc. (CACCI), NY; Global Exchange, CA; Caribbean Peoples 
International Collective, NY (CPIC); The St. Lucia Nationals 
Association; Andrea M. Ewart, P.C.; Dominica Academy of Arts & 
Sciences, DC; Metro Atlanta Caribbean Cultural Arts Centre, Inc. 
(MACCA); The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); The Caribbean 
Voice, NY; Northern California Caribbean American Heritage Month 
Committee; Central Florida's Caribbean Sun Newspaper; The Guyanese 
Society of St. Louis; The Caribbean Club in Mount Vernon, NY; Caribbean 
Professional Networking Series, DC; Caribbean World Arts & Culture, 
Inc.; St. Kitts and Nevis Association of Metropolitan Washington; The 
West Indian Social Club of Hartford. Inc.; The Inter-American Economic 
Council; Sunrise Symphony Steelpan Corporation; Barbados Assoc. of 
Central Florida; Jamaican American Association of Central Florida; 
Grenadian-American Educational and Cultural Organization of Central 
Florida, Inc.; Caribbean and Floridian Association, Inc. (CAFA); 
Guyanese American Cultural Association of Central Florida; Orlando 
Carnival Association, Inc.; Alliance of Guyanese Expatriates of Central 
Florida; Caribbean Students' Association at the University of Central 
Florida; Jamaican/American Partners in Education, GA; Central Florida 
Cricket League; Caribbean Bar Association (Central Florida Chapter); 
Antigua and Barbuda Association of Central Florida; Association of 
Asian Cultural Festivals, Inc.; Caribbean Community Connection of 
Orlando, Inc.; Trinidad & Tobago Association of Central Florida; 
Suriname American Network; Haitian American Support Group of Central 
Florida, Inc.; Caribbean-Guyana Institute for Democracy; The Indo-
Caribbean Council, NY; The Haitian American Historical Society, FL; 
Caribbean American Intercultural Organization; Sistas-With Style, CA; 
Dominican American National Roundtable, DC; West Indian Social Club of 
Hartford, Inc.; Caribbean American Society of Hartford; The Ballentine 
Group; Jamaica Progressive League; St. Lucian American Society of 
Hartford; Mico Alumni Association Inc.; Guyanese American Cultural 
Association; Connecticut Haitian American Organization, Inc.; Barbados 
American Society of Hartford; Sportsmen Athletic Club & Cricket Hall of 
Fame; Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies; Trinidad and Tobago 
Steel Symphony; Jamaica Ex-Policeman Association of Connecticut; West 
Indian American Newspaper; Center for Urban & Caribbean Research; 
CAYASCO, Inc.; Martin Luther King Jr. Soccer League; Morancie Family 
Reunion, Inc., NY; Tropical Paradise Restaurant and Juice Bar, NY; 
Jamaica Nationals Association, DC; Medgar Evers College, NY; Carriacou 
Charitable Health Services, Inc., NY; The Caribbean World News Network, 
NY; The Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute for Children, Inc., DC; 
Caribbean Research Center, NY; Montserrat Progressive Society of NY, 
Inc.; The Georgia Caribbean-American Heritage Month Planning Committee, 
GA; Ainsley Gill & Associates LLC, DC; SOCA Warriors United, NY; The 
Black Diaspora, NY; Sunrise Symphony Steelpan Orchestra, Inc., NY; 
Gloria's In & Out Restaurant, NY; Virgin Islands Association, DC; CCB 
International, Inc., NJ; TATUCA, NY; Callaloo Magazine, NY; Department 
of African American Studies, Ohio University; Hannah's Place 
International, NY; Guyana Folk Festival, DC; Caribbean Sunshine Awards, 
NJ; Trinidad and Tobago Business Association, Inc., NY; RAJHUMARI 
Center for Indo-Caribbean Arts & Culture, NY; Mauby Media Services, NY; 
Merrymakers Cultural Association, NY; Caribbean People's Association, 
NJ; Trin-American Social & Cultural Association, DC; Trinidadian and 
Tobagonians Inc., NY; Gasparillo Group, NY; Trinidad and Tobago 
Association of Washington, MA; Caribbean Journal, NY; St. Anthony's 
Spiritual Baptist Church, PA; Friends of the Caribbean, Inc., DC; The 
International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals (ICCP); 
Tropicalfete.com, NY; St. Louis-Georgetown Sisters Cities Committee, 
MO; Virgin Islands Association of the District of Columbia (VIA); 
Patterson Dental Clinic, NJ; Barbados American Society of Hartford, 
Inc.; TransAfrica Forum, DC; Caribbean-African-American Hotline, Ads, 
News, Gospel & Global Events (411XCHANGE), NY; Belizean Information & 
Services International, NY; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nationals 
Association of Washington, DC; eCaroh Caribbean Emporium, MA; Caribbean 
American Weekly (CAW), NY; Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Organizations U.S.A., Inc., NY; St. Vincent Benevolent Association; 
Bequia United Progressive Organization, Inc.; Chateaubelair Development 
Organization; Club St. Vincent, Inc.; Canouan United Social 
Organization, Inc.; Friends of the St. Vincent Grammar School; Girls 
High School Alumnae; Hairoun Sports Club; St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines Humanitarian Organization; Mas Productions Unlimited; 
Striders Social and Cultural Organization; St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines Ex-Police Association; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-
Teachers Association; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nurses 
Association; United Vincie Cultural Group of Brooklyn; Concerned 
Americans for Racial Equality, NY; Benevolent Missions of Atlanta, Inc. 
(BMA); Barbados Association of Greater Houston; Bahamian Junkanoo 
Association of Metropolitan DC.; The National Coalition on Caribbean 
Affairs (NCOCA), MD.


       H. CON. RES. 71 COSPONSORS (81) DURING THE 109TH CONGRESS

  Representatives Becerra, Berkley, Berman, S. Bishop, C. Brown, S. 
Brown, Bordallo, Burton, Butterfield, Capuano, Carson, Christensen, 
W.L. Clay, Clyburn, Conyers, Crowley, Cummings, D. Davis, J. Davis, 
Delahunt, Engel, Faleomavaega, Farr, Fattah, Feeney, Ford, Fortuno, B. 
Frank, A. Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, A. Hastings, Honda, Jackson-Lee, 
Jefferson, E.B. Johnson, Tubbs Jones, Kaptur, Kilpatrick, Kucinich, 
Kuhl, Lantos, Lewis, Lofgren, Maloney, McCarthy, McDermott, McGovern, 
McKinney, McCollum, Meek, Meeks, Menendez, Millender-McDonald, G. 
Moore, Nadler, Napolitano, Norton, Owens, Pallone, Payne, Rangel, Rush, 
T. Ryan, Serrano, D. Scott, Schakowsky, Shimkus, Slaughter, Solis, B. 
Thompson, Towns, Van Hollen, Velazquez, Waters, Watt, Weiner, Wexler, 
Woolsey, Wynn


         H. RES. 570 CO-SPONSORS DURING THE 108TH CONGRESS (65)

  Representatives Payne, Ney, Christensen, Ballenger, Owens, Rangel, 
Serrano, Hastings (FL), Tubbs Jones, McDermott, Meek (FL), Clyburn, 
Capuano, Watt, Lewis, A. Davis, B. Scott, S. Bishop, B. Thompson, 
Norton, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Waters, Cummings, Kilpatrick, Rush, 
Lofgren, Towns, Grijalva, D. Scott, Majette, Weiner, Meeks (NY), 
Acevedo-Vila, Conyers, Kucinich, Wynn, Jackson-Lee, Sweeney, Berman, 
Delahunt, Woolsey, Feeney, Shimkus, Van Hollen, Engel, Deutsch, Watson, 
Ballance, Menendez, Berkley, Jefferson, Ruppersberger, Lantos,  Israel, 
 Gonzalez, Lacy Clay, Wexler, Ros-Lehtinen, Ford, Jackson, Millender-
McDonald, C. Brown, D. Moore.

Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2006--By the President of the United 
                   States of America--A Proclamation

       During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate the 
     great contributions of Caribbean Americans to the fabric of 
     our Nation, and we pay tribute to the common culture and 
     bonds of friendship that unite

[[Page 15170]]

     the United States and the Caribbean countries.
       Our Nation has thrived as a country of immigrants, and we 
     are more vibrant and hopeful because of the talent, faith, 
     and values of Caribbean Americans. For centuries, Caribbean 
     Americans have enriched our society and added to the strength 
     of America. They have been leaders in government, sports, 
     entertainment, the arts, and many other fields.
       During the month of June, we also honor the friendship 
     between the United States and the Caribbean countries. We are 
     united by our common values and shared history, and I join 
     all Americans in celebrating the rich Caribbean heritage and 
     the many ways in which Caribbean Americans have helped shape 
     this Nation.
       Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United 
     States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by 
     the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby 
     proclaim June 2006 as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I 
     encourage all Americans to learn more about the history of 
     Caribbean Americans and their contributions to our Nation.
       In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth 
     day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of 
     the Independence of the United States of America the two 
     hundred and thirtieth.
     George W. Bush.

                          ____________________